How to free up space on Mac

How to free up space on Mac

Nothing is worse than running out of space on your computer. Although Apple has doubled the storage on some of its latest models, that doesn’t mean that you should jump to buy a new one as it might cost you an arm and a leg.

Instead, you might want to read this comprehensive guide on how to free up space on Mac. You will not only have free storage space but may improve performance too.

How to Free Up Space on a Mac

To free up space on your Mac, you may follow different methods. You can either restore space by cleaning folders manually or get free or paid decluttering apps.

Manually Delete Files and Apps

Before deleting files and apps manually on your Mac, I will suggest you check your Mac storage first:

  • Head to the Apple menu.
  • Click “About this Mac” > Storage. Here, you can check the storage space consumed by Photos, Music, System, Apps, and other large files.

Checking your Mac storage will get you a clear idea about what stuff is taking the most space. You can then manually delete unnecessary files or apps to free up space.

Here’s how to delete files and apps to free up space on Mac:

  • Click right on the file/app.
  • Now, click on “Move to Trash.”

Note: Make sure to frequently empty trash to free up space on your Mac. 

How to Save Space on Mac without Deleting the Files

If there are large files that you don’t want to delete, you can zip them. Zipping large files saves some space without actually deleting them.

  • Delete Language Files

In your Mac application, you can find various language files that Mac supports. Those files consume hundreds of megabytes without any reason.

One good way to free up Mac space is to delete those extra language files. First, select and switch to your Mac system language because you will likely use the device in one language only.

To delete those extra language files, you can move under System Junk > Language Files and use an app called CleanMyMac. You can also install an app named Monolingual to delete extra language files. However, language files never slow down your system. However, to free up space on Mac, it’s better to remove those useless files.

  • Remove Temporary Files

Another way to restore some space is to remove temporary files on Mac. Temporary files often return as you continue using Mac; these files are needless and take up space on your Mac hard drive.

You can find temporary files using Finder. Here’s how to do it:

  • Open Finder.
  • Click on the Go tab.
  • Select Go to Folder.
  • Type in ~/Library/Caches and click Go.
  • Now, you will head to the caches folder.
  • Right-click on the file you want to remove and select Move to Trash.

Note: You can also use the CleanMyMac app to locate and remove temporary files. 

  • Delete Downloads Folder

Your Downloads folder often contains heavy files that are useless for you. Many users forget about this folder, but removing the Downloads folder can actually free up a good amount of space on your Mac.

It may have unnecessary files like old PDFs, PPTs, high-resolution images, videos, and more.

  • Launch Finder.
  • Click on the Go tab.
  • Click Downloads.
  • Click right on the files one by one, and select Move to Trash.

If you only want to delete large files, then you can sort by file size to quickly remove heavy files.

  • Use iCloud Storage

Using iCloud storage is the best way to store your files that saves lots of space on your Mac. iCloud is Apple’s cloud storage service that comes with free 5GB storage. You can also use its premium features by upgrading to iCloud+.

Here’s how you can store files on iCloud: 

  • Click on the Apple icon and select “About this Mac.”
  • Click where you see the Storage tab, and select Manage
  • Now, click on “Store in iCloud”.
  • You will now be prompted to the menu, check the boxes to select your file type, and click Store in iCloud to finish the process.

Which Files Can I Store in iCloud?

You can store three types of files:

  • Desktop and Documents
  • Photos
  • Messages

Use Third-party Apps to Free up Space on a Mac

Lastly, you can also rely on some paid and free options to clean up your Mac space. Some apps dedicatedly remove clutter from folders like Photos, Mail and iTunes. Apps like Gemini 2 allow you to remove duplicate files. You can either use its free version or purchase a subscription.

Conclusion

There you have it! Decluttering your Mac can free up significant space and can boost your device’s speed and performance. Make sure to bookmark this blog as your guide to clear up space on your Mac when you are about to fill up the storage space.


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